


Farewell Rosebud

by Stargatewars



Series: A Schitt Year [22]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 02:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19163791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stargatewars/pseuds/Stargatewars
Summary: As Patrick tried David for the third time in five minutes, Twyla appeared from the cafe.She ran over to him, and spoke the words that sent a chill of fear down Patrick’s body.‘The motels on fire.’ Before Patrick could respond he was running.





	Farewell Rosebud

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of times of the show and in several interviews the cast has made reference to the motel burning down. I personally don't think this will happen in the show (although always prepared to be proven wrong) but I thought it would be fun to write a little fic exploring what would happen if it did. This is a very David/Patrick focused version of events and took a very angsty turn but I hope you enjoy it!  
> ***  
> 'A Schitt Year' is a weekly series of stand alone stories focusing on the relationship between David and Patrick from Schitt's Creek.  
> Prompts are welcome and encouraged because coming up with 56 stories on your own isn't easy!  
> All rating welcome. Hope you enjoy!

‘I don’t feel very well,’ David complained, tentatively touching his head.

‘Why don’t you go home and have a lie down?’ Patrick suggested. He knew David had been battled migraines the last couple days. The additional stresses of wedding planning were taking their toll.

‘I’ll go to the motel and take something to knock me out,’ David said.

‘You sure? You can go back to the apartment,’ Patrick offered.

‘The motels closer and since Alexis is away she can’t annoy me. Can you pick me up tonight?’ David asked.

‘Of course,’ he kissed David’s temple, ‘I’ll make you chicken soup for dinner.’

David smiled, collected his bag and headed for the door. Patrick watched him disappear around the corner, wondering if Twyla had any nice bread at the cafe he could buy for dinner.

***

The first Patrick knew about a fire was the two fire engines that screamed past the store. He watched them, sirens blaring, travel down the road and disappear around the corner. Patrick wondered if there was a grass fire nearby.

Minutes later two police cars and an ambulance followed, their sirens making the windows of the store rattle. A heavy feeling formed in Patrick’s stomach. This was more than a grass fire.

Patrick pulled out his phone and called David, hopefully he would know something. There was no answer. The feeling in Patrick’s stomach grew.

Still holding his phone Patrick walked outside to the front of the store. Standing on the step he could smell the smoke,  heavy and thick in the air.

Worry built up inside Patrick, his heart began thumping as a sense of dread washed over him. Patrick tried to reach David again but his phone rang out.

Looking around Patrick couldn’t see any smoke, but the store blocked Patrick’s view from the way the fire engines were headed.

Moments later, as Patrick tried David for the third time in five minutes, Twyla appeared from the cafe.

She ran over to him, and spoke the words that sent a chill of fear down Patrick’s body.

‘The motels on fire.’ Before Patrick could respond he was running.

Heart pounding in his chest, Patrick looked up and saw plooms of black smoke as he rounded the corner of the store.  _ Fuck _ .

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he sprinted the short distance to the motel, everything else forgotten except David. He didn’t think about how it was maybe faster to get in his car and drive the distance, or how he had left the store unlocked, all that mattered in that moment was getting to David and making sure he was alright.

Smoke began to fill his lungs, the sound of people shouting filled his ears but he didn’t care, it only made him run faster.

As the motel came into view he saw smoke and flames pouring from the building, the timber around the Rosebud Motel sign peeling and aglow.

‘Sir, you can’t go in there,’ a policeman, who seemed to come from nowhere grabbed Patrick’s arm, forcing him to stop.

‘My fiance is in there,’ Patrick cried out, his voice panting and desperate.

‘Sir, they are doing everything they can. You need to stay back,’ he held his arms out. Patrick looked desperately around the carpark of the motel. Searching for someone, anyone. David.

His eyes landed on Stevie, she stood still at the end of the parking lot, shocked, ash covering her clothes.

‘Stevie!’ he cried out, waving his arms to attract her attention. She turned and raised her hand, face devoid of emotion. The police officer turned and saw her wave at him.

‘Go on then,’ he dropped his arms and let Patrick pass.

‘Patrick ran the short distance to Stevie, grabbing her by the shoulders, ‘are you ok?’

‘Someone was smoking in bed,’ she replied calmly.

‘Where’s David?’ Patrick asked, shaking her shoulders slightly.

‘He’s not here. He’s at work,’ Stevie said numbly, her eyes turning back to the motel.

‘He is here Stevie. He came back an hour ago,’ Patrick turned, nausea washing over him. Leaving Stevie, he ran towards the cars and emergency vehicles that were scattered throughout the parking.

He screamed for David, pushing past people that were carrying items from the few rooms that hadn’t yet been consumed by fire.

‘David,’ he screamed, his voice breaking. He looked up in time to see the Rosebud Motel sign collapse, embers and flames roaring upwards. He lifted his arm to shield himself from the heat.

As he rounded a car he heard another scream join his. He saw Moira collapsed on the ground, Johnny’s arms wrapped tightly around her. In her arms she clutched several of her wigs.

‘No!’ she cried out. Patrick felt his knees go weak underneath him.

‘Where is he?’ Patrick sobbed, he gripped Johnny’s sleeve.

‘Who?’ Johnny asked confused.

‘David!’ Patrick cried out, desperation flooding his body.

‘He’s not here,’ Johnny said, his brow furrowed.

‘Yes he is!’ Patrick shouted, ‘did anyone check his room?’ 

‘I didn’t know he was back,’ Johnny said, barely above a whisper. Johnny looked up, Patrick followed his gaze. The door to David’s room was closed, but the glass had shattered with the heat, smoke poured from inside, the red glow of flames visible.

Patrick felt his knees collapse underneath him, his hands slamming into the gravel.

Moira, realising that something more than her wigs burning was happening, looked up.

She watched as Patrick, tears streaming down his face, held his phone to his ear, ‘please answer. Please fucking answer,’ he muttered to himself. It dawned on Moira then what was going on, and she began to wail anew.

When the phone went to message once again, Patrick climbed to his feet, forcing himself closer to the burning door. His own safety entirely forgotten. All he cared about was getting to David.

‘Patrick, don’t,’ Johnny shouted, gripping hold of the younger man.

‘He could be in there,’ Patrick said, pushing desperately against Johnny’s grip. Johnny only tightened his grip, forcing Patrick back a step.

‘It’s not safe,’ Johnny shouted, the heat from the rooms overwhelming.

‘I don’t care,’ Patrick said, trying desperately to push forward.

‘You can’t Patrick,’ Moira said, her own grip tightening around Patrick’s arm.

‘I need him,’ Patrick sobbed out. At that moment the roof over the room collapsed throwing embers towards the trio.

The pressure, and sheer desperation of the moment threw them backwards. Patrick letting out a desperate howl. Johnny and Moira tightened their arms around Patrick as they all collapsed to the ground.

Patrick felt bile at the back of his throat, as he watched the room burn. No one had known David was there, no one had checked.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat on the ground, Moira and Johnny sobbing beside him, he watched the flames burn, the firefighters battling to put the fire out, his entire life feeling as though it was unravelling. His entire future slipping through his fingers. No wedding, no discussion about children, no home together, no finding each others first grey hair as they grow old together. No forever.

Completely shattered his eyes mindlessly scanned the parking lot, the ambulance sitting far in the corner, away from the smoke. Everything felt numb.

Then he saw Stevie running towards him. She waved her hands wildly and pointed behind her. She was saying something, but all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat.

As she got closer one word slipped into his consciousness. ‘Ambulance.’

A tiny slither of hope pushed through Patrick’s grief, he pushed himself to his feet and started moving again, Johnny and Moira following a few steps behind.

‘Please,’ Patrick begged as he moved as quickly as his weak legs would take him.

As he neared the ambulance, the back doors open wide, he strained to see through the smoke and his own tears.

And then all of a sudden there he was. Patrick almost collapsed with relief at the sight. David sat at the back of the ambulance, a grey blanket around his shoulders, a mask pumping oxygen over his nose and mouth. He was covered in ash.

As Patrick ran the final steps towards him, David stood, catching Patrick as he collapsed into his arms. They both sobbed with relief at seeing the other. Patrick buried his face into David’s chest, heaving with relief.

‘Patrick,’ David cried, his voice muffled by the mask.

‘I thought you were dead,’ Patrick sobbed, clinging desperately to David.

‘I’m ok,’ David said, pulling Patrick closer, almost entirely onto his lap.

Moira, Johnny and Stevie appeared, stopping just short of the two men. Moira let out a cry of relief at seeing her son alive.

David looked up to see Johnny wrap his arms around Moira and Stevie.

Patrick pulled back but only so he could take David’s face in his hand. He stared at David, like he really needed to see him, see his eyes, to assure himself that he was ok.

‘I tried to call…’ Patrick said.

‘I left my phone in the room,’ David replied, running his thumb across Patrick’s tear stained cheek. Patrick nodded, unsure what to say. He kissed David’s cheek, unable to get to his lips because of the mask.

He moved to the side, never taking his hands off David, so that Johnny, Moira and Stevie could all embrace him.

‘We didn’t know you’d come back,’ Johnny said, ‘I’m glad you’re ok son.’

‘Sorry about the motel,’ David said as Stevie wrapped her arms around him, she just shook her head.

‘It’s all insured,’ Johnny said, ‘it’s just a building.’ They all recognised how close they had come to losing so much more.

They fell into silence, Patrick had his arms wrapped around David. They listened as the motel crackled and burned.

***

Hours later the fire was finally put out. The motel was almost completely destroyed, only the three of the rooms, two on one end and one of the other, survived, but the water damage destroyed what the flames couldn’t reach.

Hazard tape was put up, and people began to leave.

David was taken off the oxygen and told to see a doctor or go straight to hospital if any shortness of breath occurred.

Hand in hand, David and Patrick followed the others back over to the remains of the motel.

Moira picked up the wigs that had been scattered in the parking lot.

Joselyn, Roland and Ronnie helped to load the few things that were saved onto a trailer.

‘You can stay with us,’ Joselyn said as Moira and Johnny stood in the ruins of their old room. They both nodded numbly.

David stood beside his parents deciding who would call Alexis, Patrick looked over and saw Stevie standing alone in the ruins of the office. Squeezing David’s hand he nodded his head towards Stevie. 

They walked over to her, she let out a wet laugh when they noticed that the only thing that survived was the old coffee maker in the corner.

‘You going to be ok?’ David asked, pulling back from the hug.

Stevie shrugged, ‘I guess. I have no idea what to do now.’

‘Did you want to stay with us tonight?’ Patrick asked.

‘You know I didn’t actually live here,’ Stevie pointed out.

‘I know. But thought you might like some company,’ Patrick smiled.

‘I’m ok. I think I want to be alone for now,’ Stevie replied. She squeezed Patrick’s shoulder as she walked away to her ash covered car. They watched until she was out of sight.

They stopped out the front of where David’s old room had stood.

Patrick looked at the shattered window and door, that not many hours before, as the flames roared, he’d tried to run through.

Nothing from that room remained, just the springs from the two beds, and the piles of ash and charcoaled timber, were all that gave a clue to where things had been.

‘Lucky I’d started to move a lot of my stuff into your place,’ David replied, turning slowly on the spot. They had recently begun searching for a home with a big enough closet for David’s clothes. With their wedding only months away, David had started living almost full time at Patrick’s. He had boxed up a lot of this things in preparation of a move.

‘Mmm, lucky,’ Patrick said, not taking his eyes off his fiance.

‘Mom and Dad have nothing,’ David realised. He looked over to the parking lot where they were speaking with Ronnie, the last of the things that had saved, having been loaded.

‘I think they saved some stuff,’ Patrick said, thinking about the wigs on the ground from earlier.

‘Can we go home now? I feel disgusting,’ David asked. 

‘Of course,’ Patrick pulled him close and kissed him on the cheek.

They arranged to meet Johnny and Moira the next morning at Roland and Joselyn’s.

David hugged his parents one more time.

Patrick stepped to leave but was pulled into an embrace by Johnny and Moira.

‘Thank you for what you did for our son,’ Johnny said.

‘I didn’t do anything,’ Patrick pointed out.

‘But you were ready to,’ Johnny replied, squeezing Patrick’s shoulder. He could only nod in reply, the memory still too raw.

They had to walk back to the store, where Patrick’s car waited, Patrick gripped David’s hand tightly.

‘I’ll just grab my stuff,’ Patrick said.

‘You left the store unlocked?’ David asked as they walked in.

‘I had other things on my mind,’ Patrick replied. They noticed however that the sign was turned to closed and the lights were off.

A note from Twyla sat on the counter, saying she had flipped the sign and turned off the light and hoped they were all ok. Patrick would have to thank her later. Right then all he wanted was to be at home with David.

***

Back home David showered for an hour. Washing his hair three times to be sure the smell of smoke was gone. Patrick joined him, just to be close and feel David's shower warmed body pressed against his own. To reassure himself that David was alright. That they were both alright.

Patrick readied for bed, while David finished his nightly skin treatment. Staring at the bed, Patrick shuddered, thinking how close he came to losing David.

David left the bathroom and watched as Patrick moved to the dresser and gently touched one of David’s sweaters. The gentle action filled David with love and the need to be close to his fiance.

David closed the gap between them, pulling Patrick into his arms.

‘I love you,’ he whispered into David’s neck, breathing in his fresh scent.

‘I love you,’ David replied, tightening his grip around Patrick’s shoulders.

Neither man could say how long they stood like that, holding each other so tight it almost hurt, comforting themselves with the simple presence of the other.

‘Let’s get some sleep,’ Patrick said but making no effort to move. David nodded, finally pulling back. He kissed Patrick gently before climbing into bed.

‘We’ll get you a new phone tomorrow,’ Patrick said as he climbed in beside David.

***

As they laid in bed that night, David curled up with his back pressed against Patrick, neither slept. Patrick’s arms remained tight around David.

David wasn’t sure if he heard it of felt it first. The tiniest of shudders from Patrick, his breath quaking. If he hadn’t been pressed up closely against him, David would never had realised.

‘Patrick?’ David asked, he went to turn but Patrick only pulled him closer.

He felt a shaky breath against the back of his neck, and when Patrick pressed his lips to David’s skin, he felt the moisture of tears.

‘Sweetie, talk to me… please,’ David said.

After a long silence Patrick said, in the smallest of voices, ‘I thought I’d lost you David.’

David felt his heart break. Yes, it had been scary for him, waking to a room full of smoke, struggling to breath had terrified him, but throughout it all he knew that Patrick was safe. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if he thought, even for a second, that something had happened to Patrick.

David turned, wrapping his arms tightly around Patrick, with Patrick’s own arms holding him tightly in return.

‘I can’t imagine my life without you David,’ Patrick said, his voice shaking.

‘I'm ok. I got out ok,’ David’s body shivered at just the thought of losing Patrick like that.

‘I can’t live without you David,’ Patrick sobbed against David’s chest.

Tears welled in David’s eyes, falling down his cheeks and onto the pillow.

‘You never have to live without me Patrick. I’m not going anywhere,’ David kissed the top of Patrick’s head.

The emotions of the day, the terror and relief, bubbled to the surface. They both let out a choked sob, clutching each other desperately. They held each other as they cried, thinking about how their day could have ended so differently. It was late in the night by the time they both cried themselves out. Exhausted, they fell asleep in each others arms, not quite ready to let each other go just yet.

***

The following morning, as arranged they all met at Roland and Joselyn’s. Stevie was already there when David and Patrick arrived. They had decided to close the store for the day to help ensure everything was being arranged.

‘I just got off the phone with Alexis. She said she’d be on the next flight back… I told her not to bother. She won’t have anywhere to stay,’ Johnny said solemnly joining his family at the dining table.

‘Are we meant to stay under this roof indefinitely?’ Moira asked, looking around the Schitt’s dining room.

‘I think it might be time to look for our own place,’ Johnny said, ‘our finances are pretty poor though, especially now.’

‘Umm... we’ve started looking for our own place,’ Patrick spoke, ‘I’m not sure what your finances are like but my place would be available after that… or you could stay with us.’ He really hoped they would prefer the first option of taking over the lease of his apartment. As much as he loved his soon to be in-laws, he didn’t particularly want to be spending all his time with them but knew they should offer. David took Patrick’s hand under the table and squeezed.

‘You’re place is awfully small Patrick,’ Moira pointed out.

‘Still bigger than a motel room… or Roland's spare room,’ David pointed out. Moira scowled.

‘What about the motel?’ Stevie asked, she looked like she’d slept about as well as David and Patrick had.

‘I spoke with the insurance company last night,’ Johnny said, ‘they’ll be out in a couple days to start their investigation. Then we can think about a rebuild once we get the money.’ Johnny wrote ‘Rosebud Motel’ across the top of a piece of paper.

Stevie looked down at the paper, twisting her hands, she began to chew nervously on her bottom lip.

‘You know Stevie,’ Johnny said looking at his business partner, reading her nerves with a practised ease, ‘just because you own the motel doesn’t mean you have to stay there. You need to do what’s best for you. If this isn’t what you want, that’s ok.’

She nodded, taking in what Johnny had said. It was several minutes before she spoke.

‘I don’t know what I want. But what about this?’ she asked, as she took the pen from Johnny’s hand. She reached over to the piece of paper in front of him that read ‘Rosebud Motel’ and crossed out the M and replaced it with an H.

A smile spread across Johnny’s face, ‘I think we can work with that.’

And so it was decided. They would wait and see what the insurance company said, but Johnny knew he had insured the building well, and they could look into getting a business loan to build something really special, then they would start the rebuild on the Rosebud Hotel.

***

As David and Patrick went to leave, Johnny pulled David aside. Patrick’s brow furrowed as he watched Johnny lead David into the other room.

When they returned around ten minutes later, David’s skin was pale and his eyes were red. He looked like he had been crying.

Patrick stood and went instantly to him.

‘You ok?’ Patrick asked, touching David’s cheek.

David nodded, ‘take me home.’

Patrick didn’t want to pry but was worried about what had upset David, that Johnny hadn’t wanted to discuss in front of everyone else.

***

David didn’t say much when they got back to the apartment or for the next few days. He just kept looking at Patrick with an amazed look that Patrick couldn’t quite understand.

Patrick assumed it was a result of the shock of the fire, of his sore throat and lungs from the smoke, and tried to give him his space, but remained nearby, not ready to part from David himself. Wanting to be near when David decided he was ready to talk.

Patrick sat at his desk days after the fire, looking over some paperwork for Johnny. The insurance company had come back quicker than they had expected with a figure enough to rebuild the motel and then some.

David leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom, watching Patrick as he studied the documents, running his hand across the back of his neck.

‘Dad told me you tried to run into the motel looking for me,’ David said, his voice low. Patrick turned and looked at David silhouetted in the low light. That must have been what Johnny was talking to David about.

‘I… I thought you were in there,’ Patrick replied, a shiver going up his spine as he remembered how it felt to think that David was trapped.

‘It was on fire Patrick,’ David replied moving closer.

‘I know and I thought you were inside,’ Patrick bit back a sob.

David moved to sit on the edge of the bed, Patrick turned around to face him, nervously taking David’s hands in his, he looked down at the gold rings on David’s fingers.

‘You can’t put yourself at risk at risk like that. I’m not worth it,’ David said. Patrick’s eyes snapped up to David’s face.

‘David,’ Patrick’s tone was hard, ‘you are worth everything. My life is nothing without you in it. I don’t want to spend a second of my life without you,’ he gripped David’s hands tightly.

Tears welled in David’s eyes as he looked at Patrick.

‘Marry me then,’ David breathed.

Patrick laughed, ‘we’re already engaged,’ he ran his fingers over David’s rings.

‘No I mean, marry me, like now,’ David pulled himself forward so he was kneeling on the ground between Patrick’s knees, their hands clasped together.

‘Are you serious?’ Patrick looked at him in disbelief.

‘I don’t want to spend any more time with you not as my husband. Marry me,’ David said. Patrick leaned in and kissed him deeply.

‘But my parents… your sister’ Patrick spoke, his hands still gripped David’s face.

‘Alexis is getting Friday. Call your parents. Marry me this weekend Patrick,’ David ran his hands up Patrick’s chest.

Patrick laughed, tears running down his cheeks, ‘are you sure? You had so many ideas for the wedding.’

‘All I care about is that I get to marry you. After this week, after what almost could have happened, I don’t want to wait. I want to be your husband,’ David explained.

‘Ok,’ Patrick smiled broadly, tears walking in his eyes, ‘let’s get married.' Out of the horror of the motel burning, and Patrick thinking he had died, David realised something. It didn’t matter about a wedding, about what the decorations looked like, about the venue, all he wanted was to marry the man he loved surrounded by their friends and family, and he wanted to do it as soon as possible.

***

And that's exactly what happened. As the bulldozers began to remove the ruins of the old Rosebud Motel, clearing the area for its new beginning, David and Patrick exchanged vows at town hall surrounded by those they loved.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic comments and/or kudos are much appreciated. I'd love to know your thoughts!  
> If you have any prompts for the future please comment below or contact me on Tumblr at @stargatewars


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